For almost 20 years, Brother Gregory Cellini has shared God’s love and inspired others to live fearlessly in that love as a part of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, N.Y., across the Hudson River from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
Yet, the seeds of Brother Cellini ‘s vocation were planted in his youth in the Paterson Diocese at his home parish of St. Paul in Clifton, N.J., and with encouragement from several local priests. He attended weekly Mass at St. Paul’s with his late parents, Lucia and Ceasar, and siblings Robert, Celeste, Stephen, and Virginia. Brother Cellini, now 66, was also an altar server.
“I felt stirrings of the priesthood in high school,” said Brother Cellini. He was also influenced by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who taught at the former St. Paul School in Clifton, where he graduated in 1973, and the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, who taught at Paul VI High School, also in Clifton, where he graduated in 1977. “All the sisters had love and compassion, fidelity to Christ, and joy,” he said.
Today, Brother Cellini is director of the Office of Mission, Ministry, and Interfaith Dialogue at St. Francis College. He also created and hosts Thank God For Monday, a weekly workplace talk show heard on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on WSOU 89.5 FM, the radio station of Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., or at www.wsou.net. He also authored a book, “Transform Yourself —Transform the World: A Franciscan View of Career.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
For the past two years, Brother Cellini has led Franciscan Month in October — a growing movement to invite Franciscan college students and communities to live out Franciscan spirituality. A recent Vatican News Agency story featured the initiative, which went nationwide this year and ends on Oct. 30. Franciscan Month encourages people to embrace the message of St. Francis of Assisi, the community’s founder, emphasizing peace, humility, and care for creation.
“The world is broken in many ways, and it’s the Franciscan way that can help transform it,” Brother Cellini told the Vatican News Agency. “We want people of all ages to be inspired to live a Franciscan way, not just in October, but every day of the year.”
As a youth in the Paterson Diocese, Brother Cellini was also influenced by the late Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, pastor of St. Paul’s before becoming the sixth Bishop of Paterson, and Father Richard Rento, then from St. Brendan Parish, also in Clifton. He said the priests “were committed to Christ and serving those who were poor.”
Upon graduating from Paul VI, Brother Cellini began working full-time for Hoffman-La Roche pharmaceutical company in Nutley, N.J. He earned degrees from Rutgers Graduate School of Management in New Jersey and Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business. Brother Cellini spent 29 years in the pharmaceutical industry before being “downsized” in 2006.
His conversion moment, however, arrived before that on May 25, 2005. Brother Cellini, an acolyte, prostrated himself in front of the tabernacle during Mass, looked at it, and said, “God, I’ve screwed this up enough. You take it over,” he said.
Before being laid off, Brother Cellini took career coaching sessions. His coach, a former Franciscan sister, said a career assessment he completed revealed his strengths lie in a religious vocation. She assigned him to visit two religious congregations. The third — the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn —seemed like a great fit.
“I loved the Franciscans’ simplicity, humility, and fraternity,” said Brother Cellini, who joined the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn in 2006.
Brother Cellini earned an advanced certificate in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Throughout his discernment, he received encouragement from Paterson priests, Father Nicholas Bozza and Msgr. Raymond Kupke, and Msgr. Paul Bochicchio, of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey. Brother Cellini professed his final vows in 2012 at Our Lady of Angels Church in Brooklyn.
Local Franciscan Month activities have included animal blessings. In contrast, national events this year have included daily simultaneous Eucharistic adoration uniting members of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities. Also in 2025, Franciscan Media created FranciscanMonth.org, offering resources for living the Franciscan way.
Brother Cellini told BeaconNJ.org, “I’m where God wants me to be,” at St. Francis College.
“I take an interest in our college students, giving them a little perspective that could help them. I want them to see the good in themselves so they can share that good with others,” Brother Cellini said.
Click here to read the Vatican News Agency story on Franciscan Month.
Brooklyn Franciscan brother traces his vocation to Paterson Diocese #Catholic –
For almost 20 years, Brother Gregory Cellini has shared God’s love and inspired others to live fearlessly in that love as a part of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, N.Y., across the Hudson River from the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
Yet, the seeds of Brother Cellini ‘s vocation were planted in his youth in the Paterson Diocese at his home parish of St. Paul in Clifton, N.J., and with encouragement from several local priests. He attended weekly Mass at St. Paul’s with his late parents, Lucia and Ceasar, and siblings Robert, Celeste, Stephen, and Virginia. Brother Cellini, now 66, was also an altar server.
“I felt stirrings of the priesthood in high school,” said Brother Cellini. He was also influenced by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, who taught at the former St. Paul School in Clifton, where he graduated in 1973, and the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, who taught at Paul VI High School, also in Clifton, where he graduated in 1977. “All the sisters had love and compassion, fidelity to Christ, and joy,” he said.
Today, Brother Cellini is director of the Office of Mission, Ministry, and Interfaith Dialogue at St. Francis College. He also created and hosts Thank God For Monday, a weekly workplace talk show heard on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on WSOU 89.5 FM, the radio station of Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., or at www.wsou.net. He also authored a book, “Transform Yourself —Transform the World: A Franciscan View of Career.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
For the past two years, Brother Cellini has led Franciscan Month in October — a growing movement to invite Franciscan college students and communities to live out Franciscan spirituality. A recent Vatican News Agency story featured the initiative, which went nationwide this year and ends on Oct. 30. Franciscan Month encourages people to embrace the message of St. Francis of Assisi, the community’s founder, emphasizing peace, humility, and care for creation.
“The world is broken in many ways, and it’s the Franciscan way that can help transform it,” Brother Cellini told the Vatican News Agency. “We want people of all ages to be inspired to live a Franciscan way, not just in October, but every day of the year.”
As a youth in the Paterson Diocese, Brother Cellini was also influenced by the late Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, pastor of St. Paul’s before becoming the sixth Bishop of Paterson, and Father Richard Rento, then from St. Brendan Parish, also in Clifton. He said the priests “were committed to Christ and serving those who were poor.”
Upon graduating from Paul VI, Brother Cellini began working full-time for Hoffman-La Roche pharmaceutical company in Nutley, N.J. He earned degrees from Rutgers Graduate School of Management in New Jersey and Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business. Brother Cellini spent 29 years in the pharmaceutical industry before being “downsized” in 2006.
His conversion moment, however, arrived before that on May 25, 2005. Brother Cellini, an acolyte, prostrated himself in front of the tabernacle during Mass, looked at it, and said, “God, I’ve screwed this up enough. You take it over,” he said.
Before being laid off, Brother Cellini took career coaching sessions. His coach, a former Franciscan sister, said a career assessment he completed revealed his strengths lie in a religious vocation. She assigned him to visit two religious congregations. The third — the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn —seemed like a great fit.
“I loved the Franciscans’ simplicity, humility, and fraternity,” said Brother Cellini, who joined the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn in 2006.
Brother Cellini earned an advanced certificate in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Throughout his discernment, he received encouragement from Paterson priests, Father Nicholas Bozza and Msgr. Raymond Kupke, and Msgr. Paul Bochicchio, of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey. Brother Cellini professed his final vows in 2012 at Our Lady of Angels Church in Brooklyn.
Local Franciscan Month activities have included animal blessings. In contrast, national events this year have included daily simultaneous Eucharistic adoration uniting members of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities. Also in 2025, Franciscan Media created FranciscanMonth.org, offering resources for living the Franciscan way.
Brother Cellini told BeaconNJ.org, “I’m where God wants me to be,” at St. Francis College.
“I take an interest in our college students, giving them a little perspective that could help them. I want them to see the good in themselves so they can share that good with others,” Brother Cellini said.
Click here to read the Vatican News Agency story on Franciscan Month.